IPC in East and Central Africa 2013

Countries in the East and Central Africa Region are leading in the implementation of the IPC worldwide. The IPC was originally developed in 2004 in Somalia by the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) and based on the success of its use to inform decision making, the IPC spread to neighboring countries. Since 2007, countries in the region have received support in implementing the IPC, and today ten countries lead acute analysis two to four times a year: Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

Building on years of implementation, the IPC has become a reference in the region for evidence-based and comparable food security analysis. This has been achieved through a true partnership between government, humanitarian and development actors in building technical consensus. IPC products form an essential component of country early warning systems; they are used by national Governments, donors and the humanitarian community including UN and NGOs, for both emergency interventions and development policies.

IPC activities in countries are led by multi-partner IPC Technical Working Groups, chaired by government, and technically supported by regional technical coordinators. The IPC initiative in the region is guided by a multi-agency IPC Regional Steering Committee embedded in the regional Food Security and Nutrition Working Group (FSNWG), and chaired by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), who will also soon be representing the region in the IPC Global Steering Committee.

After two regional projects funded by ECHO, the IPC has proved its relevance and sustainability as it continues to be implemented thanks to the contributions from national and regional partners and is increasingly institutionalized within Governments. The IPC Version 2.0 has been successfully introduced in all countries in 2012, and the IPC certification is proceeding to build a sustainable pool of IPC analysts and trainers-facilitators. This is part of a strategic orientation, together with continuous progress in strengthening the partnership and leadership of the Government, and increasing impact on decision-making both at national and regional levels.